MIRI: A private higher education institution here lost more than RM24,000 when it was duped by a scammer pretending to be one of its students requesting for a refund.
According to Miri police chief ACP Lim Meng Seah, when contacted today, a police report on the matter was lodged by the institution last Friday.
“The police are still investigating the case,” said Lim.
On July 27, the institution received an email from a person who claimed to be a student asking for refund amounting to RM24,314.
“The email was attached together with a letter of permission to make payment to an individual bank account number along with a name,” Lim explained.
In response to the email, on August 15, the institution made the payment to the account given without checking the authenticity of the application.
“Only two days later after the transaction (Aug 17), the university was informed by the (actual) student that he had never sent an email for the refund application,” Lim said.
The case is being investigated under Section 420 of the Penal Code for cheating.
